was his neighbour) that on this spott of ground (or leaning
against this Qake, or that ashe) the Solution of such or such a
Probleme came into my head, as if infused by a Divine Genius,
after I had thought on it without Successe for a yeare, two, or
three.
Ben Oughtred told me that he had heard his father say to
Mr. Allen (the famous Mathematicall Instrument-maker) in
his shop, that he had found out the Longitude: sed vix credo
[but I scarcely believe it].
I have heard Mr. Hobbes say, and very truely, that with
all his great skill in Algebra, he did never add one Proposition
to Geometric : he could bind up a Bundle well.
He was a great lover of Chymistry, which he studyed before
his son Ben can remember, and continued it; and told John
Evelyn, of Detford, Esq., R.S.S., not above a yeare before he
dyed, that if he were but five yeares (or three yeares) younger, he
doubted not to find out the Philosopher's stone. It was made
of the harshest cleare water that he could gett, which he lett
stand to putrify, and evaporated by cimmering.
His wife was a penurious woman, and would not allow
him to burne candle after Supper, by which meanes many a
good notion is lost, and many a Probleme unsolved; so that
Sir. Henshawe, when he was there, bought candle, which was a
great comfort to the old man.
The right hon^ble Thomas Howard, Earle of Arundel and
Surrey, Lord High Marshall of England, was his great Patron,
and loved him intirely. One time they were like to have been
killed together by the fall at Albury of a grott, which fell downe
but just as they were come out. My Lord had many Grotts
about his house, cutt in the Sandy sides of hills, wherin he
delighted to sitt and discourse.
In the time of the Civill Warres the Duke of Florence
invited him over, and offered him 500 pounds per annum; but
he would not accept of it, because of his religion.
Notwithstanding all that has been sayd of this excellent
man, he was in danger to have been Sequestred, and one
Onslowe that was a great Stickler against the Royalists and a
Member of the House of Commons and living not far from
him—he translated his Claris into English and dedicated it to
bitn to dawe with him, and it did doe his businesse and saved
him from Sequestration.
I have heard his neighbour Ministers say that he was a
pittifal Preacher; the reason was because he never studyed it,
but bent all his thoughts on the Mathematiques; but when he
was in danger of being Sequestred for a Royalist, he fell to the
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